I have come to a grave realization lately. An awkward awareness that I would rather keep locked up and to myself. I am trying to embrace this change, and I feel that sharing this with you may be the first step in my acceptance. Although, let the record state that there still is a fight left in this dog. I have hit an unwritten milestone in my life. It may not be a celebrated achievement, but part of me has always known that this was inevitable. I am old!

I know, I know, some people may look at me (at age 31) and say… “No honey, you are still young…”, but I know that you are slightly stretching the truth. But, thanks for trying to make me feel better! The real truth is, for the first time in my life, I am no longer in the young crowd.

To get down to the nitty gritty, the signs have been evident for quite some time now. I have lost my touch with understanding the generation below me. I look at them, like what they are wearing specifically, and ask myself when did this become the hip thing. See, right there, I used the word hip… is this yet another sign?

To give you a little more insight, one of my guilty pleasures is gossip magazines. I thoroughly love reading the buzz on celebrities, even though I know it may not be true. I just enjoy being in the know of the rumor mill. But, now I feel betrayed. As I fervently flip through the pages, scanning each headline and photo, I am coming to grasp that I do not know these people. They are not my regular celebrities. In fact, who are these kids… and when did they start gracing the pages. Did I fall off the face of the planet and someone forget to tell me?

More than feeling out of touch, I am lost in general when it comes down to it. My youngest sister is 19. She is currently living with me. We have a blast together, just like the old days when we were all growing up in the same house. Yet, there is an adult part of me that just does not understand her. The music she listens to, the zany hairdo’s, and the vibrant colors embellishing her face and nails. I am so out of the loop.

More than the outside world, I seemed to be obsessed with my own physical aging. It is almost as if I am trying to win an uphill battle. When did this all happen? I see myself every day, and I never noticed any of this. I see wrinkles on my face. There are numerous, very evident gray hairs that daunt me. Sometimes, when I walk past a mirror, I even see my mother’s face. (I meant that nicely, love you mom.) Just the other day, I noticed crumpled, puckered skin above my knees. This all has to stop!

Visualize the famous oil painting The Scream of Nature by Edvard Munch, and you will see how I am feeling right now; out of place, unsure, lost, unrecognizable, scared.

So, I am calling myself to arms. I am not going to sit back and watch myself grow old without a war. This fight is about to get physical, and I am engaging the first round of battle myself. I am smart, sophisticated, and ready to face the aging battle. Here come the facial masks.

Skin care is super important, as I am sure you all know. Youthfulness is wasted on the youth, boy if that ain’t the truth. I can actually remember distinctly not listening to adults who told me to take care of myself when I was young… I always thought that I had more time. But, isn’t that the story for everything.

So, now I am taking action. And in true perfection, Natures Garden has just ventured into the realm of herbs. How exciting is this.

I decided among the long list of things to youthfulize myself (yes, I did in fact make that word up), I would start with my face. I figured this would be as good as any aspect to start on since my face is what everyone sees.

Making a facial mask is super easy, quick, and very rewarding. It just so happens that Natures Garden carries all of these supplies too!

Step 1: Weigh out and mixed the dry ingredients together and set aside (except for the peppermint leaves cut and sifted).

Step 2: Make a strong peppermint tea infusion by pouring a small amount of hot water over the peppermint leaves cut and sifted and allow them to steep.

Step 3: Strain the peppermint leaves infusion through a coffee filter to remove the leaves.

Step 4: Using 18 grams of the peppermint tea, add 6 grams of vegetable glycerin to it and stir.

Step 5: Now, pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and stir.

Step 6: Apply generously to your face and allow to dry completely.

Now, I am not going to lie to you, this mask gets tight. I couldn’t move a single muscle in my face once the mask hardened, but it was so worth the slight discomfort. I left the mask on for about 20 minutes. I waited until it was completely dry and hard. Then I simply washed it off with warm water. What was left was a rejuvenated, younger looking face; my new face.

My skin was baby butt soft. My pores, especially the ones on and around my nose, were tiny again. My T-zone area was not shiny at all. It was face perfection for me. I am now a huge fan of Natures Garden facials!